Thursday starts with this on the front page of the Winston-Salem Journal.

That one photo took up about 20% of the entire first page.

From that article:

The exodus of one-third of the school district’s high school athletic directors will leave a leadership and experience gap, he said.

Cromwell lamented that throughout the budget crisis, ADs were not consulted about possible cost-cutting measures or fundraising. He pointed to a fundraiser he held last year that brought in nearly $70,000.

“We all realize many fingers need to point east to Raleigh,” Cromwell said of budget constraints. “But it’s hard to grasp when the leaders who know how to pay for, sustain and grow athletics have never been invited to the table to brainstorm with district leaders.”

Much of McCormick’s frustration dates to the fall, when ADs were told they would become 10-month rather than year round employees of the school district, one of several cost-cutting measures recommended by former interim Superintendent Catty Moore and approved by the school board.

McCormick said athletic directors didn’t receive advance notice of Moore’s recommendation and didn’t have time to advocate for themselves.

“Didn’t have time to advocate for themselves.” Damn.

About the same time that this news article is getting more traction in the between-classes dialogues between WSFCS employees, this screenshot appears from sources that will remain anonymous.

It’s from the WSFCS Principals’ Meeting on April 1st.

Yes, April 1st.

And it wasn’t an April Fools Joke.

Apparently, these are the areas where WSFCS is “over-funding” above the state allotment for these already stressed positions. It’s the basic list of places where more cuts can be made since we as a school system are in such financial straits.

Later in the morning, this becomes the top focus of state news.

It means that the NC State Supreme Court just dismissed the LEANDRO case. Fully. 30 years of work wiped out by a panel of judges that includes the son of the man named as a defendant.

And as news of that was spreading, the Red Cross Blood Drive occurring in the old gym of the largest high school in the district where I teach had to stop its blood drive because the temperature in the building was nearing 80 degrees. Why? Because the air conditioning system in that building (which also houses the cafeteria) does not work and is rumored to not be able to be repaired until August.

Maybe a good day to ask people to come out for May 1st.